Chapter 27
RAFE
TWO DAYS LATER
I woke up to the sun filtering over my face. I rolled over and reached for George, but the space beside me was empty. He was already gone.
I ran my hand over the sheets, but they were cold. He’d been up for some time. That was odd. Every day that he was up before me, he always woke me up. For a cuddle, for a kiss, and often for a shag before breakfast.
Glancing at my mobile, I saw that it was just after 8 a.m. I was normally up much earlier.
Grabbing my shorts and a t-shirt, I ran a hand over my face and decided to leave the scruff for now.
Shaving could wait until later. I slipped into the bathroom and washed up, then entered the cockpit.
Sorry, the wheelhouse. George liked to joke with me that he did his best work in the real cockpit. No arguments there.
But when I entered the wheelhouse, George wasn’t there either. That was unusual. I opened the door to the outside and heard raised voices. One of them was George.
What was going on?
Being the nosy git that I am, I walked downstairs only to find my love and another man in a heated argument on the bridge deck.
As I walked closer, I realized that I recognized the dark-haired stranger. From a year ago when we were in Villefranche. That evening, I’d dined with Rowan and Dylan, and spotted George on the boardwalk. Meeting up with his Italian boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—Aldo.
So this was the man that had dumped George, and then insulted him to boot.
Aldo was taller than me, a good-looking bloke with curly black hair and dark eyes. And the way he was looking at my George right now, oh shite, this was not good.
A surge of jealousy had my stomach flipping over.
What was this tosser doing here in Australia anyway? I thought he lived in Naples, half a world away.
“What’s going on?” I asked, interrupting the yelling.
My presence was met with sudden silence.
“It’s nothing, love. Go back upstairs,” George replied, not even looking at me.
“I’m not a crew member that you can dismiss. Now what is going on?”
“He told you to leave, so what this is, is none of your business. Now fuck off!” Aldo spat out in perfect English as he turned to me, puffing out his chest. He was a big bloke, with loads of muscles, but I wasn’t going to be intimidated.
“Don’t speak to him that way, Aldo,” George bit out.
“This is private property, so say what you’ve come to say then get the fuck off this ship!” I yelled back.
“Rafe,” George warned and stepped in front of me. “It’s all right. I can handle this.”
“I fly for a whole day from Italy to see you, and I demand that you hear me out, George. You owe me that much!” Aldo bellowed.
“I don’t owe you anything. Lower your voice Aldo, or get off this ship right now,” George replied tersely.
Aldo placed his hands on his hips and let his head fall back, giving a great sigh. Dramatic much?
“What’s he doing here?” I asked George as calmly as I could.
Even though I already suspected the reason behind his visit. The man had traveled halfway round the world to see George, so that had to mean something. George wouldn’t go back to him, would he?
My heart raced with fear, so hard, so fast, that I felt lightheaded and like I might be sick.
“I’m here for George,” Aldo insisted and stared at my boyfriend.
“I text and text, but you don’t reply. Then I saw your picture on the news two days ago and I decide, right then, I cannot wait anymore, I need to see you.
I made a terrible mistake letting you go last year, amore mio.
Please, just talk to me,” Aldo whined. “I love you. I can sell the restaurant and travel with you. I swear, I can do it. I won’t cheat on you again.
I’ve had a year to do nothing but think of you. ”
“Aldo, there’s nothing to talk about. I don’t love you. Our relationship ran its course and it’s done. Go back home.”
“There will be no other men. I swear, amore mio.”
“Stop calling him that. He’s not your love,” I bit out.
“You think he loves you? The man in the picture, a stupid model? Please,” Aldo scoffed and started pacing. “George needs someone intelligent and cultured.”
“You know nothing about me. And in case the picture wasn’t clear, he’s in love with me, not you.”
“You bitch,” Aldo hissed.
George ran a hand through his hair. “Enough! Aldo, I’ve tried to be polite, but I will not have you insulting my partner.
I’m sorry you traveled all this way, but there was no need.
There’s nothing more between us, and there hasn’t been for a long time.
When you dumped me, you told me I was ‘old, boring, and destined for a lonely life.’ Those words hurt me terribly at the time, but more importantly, they told me how you really felt.
And I may be all those things, but I don’t feel that way when I’m with Rafe.
He loves me as I am, not how he wishes me to be.
And I love him the same way. Now please leave, and don’t ever contact me again. ”
Aldo shook his head as big tears began to fall down his face. Charlie and Jana appeared on deck but stopped short when they saw us.
Suddenly I felt like we were starring in an Italian telenovela. Jesus Christ, I wanted this arsehole gone, but if George had just rejected me that way, I’d be crushed too.
“I’ll leave now but I’m not giving up. We can start again. I will not try to change you or sleep with other men,” Aldo pleaded.
“It’s over. Go home. Get on with your life.”
Aldo wiped his face and stalked off, heading down the stairs.
“I’ll make sure he leaves the marina.” Charlie nodded and followed him.
“I’ll go with you,” Jana commented and walked away.
George turned to me and cupped my face. “I’m so sorry about all this. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I replied and gripped his wrists. “I’m worried about you. I thought you blocked his number?”
“I did, my heart. I deleted the messages and blocked him.”
“Don’t ever try to hide something like this from me again,” I whispered as my breath hitched.
“I wasn’t hiding. I was trying to get him to leave the ship without disrupting everyone. I couldn’t believe he’d just shown up.”
“He wants you back,” I bit out.
“He can’t have me. I belong to you.”
“How did he find out where you were?”
George grimaced. “Apparently, the party the other night made international entertainment headlines. I guess he got it in his head to come and find me since I wasn’t responding. I was trying to get him to leave quietly before you woke up.”
“He sounds like he’s become obsessed.”
George shook his head. “No, I think he finally got the message. He won’t be back.”
I had a bad feeling George was wrong, but I let it go for the moment.
“And you…you’re absolutely sure you have no feelings for him anymore?” I whispered, the unsettled feeling in my gut continuing to roll around.
George’s eyes lit with a verdant intensity that had me wanting to pull back. But he wouldn’t let go.
“How can you ask me that? Did you not hear what I said moments ago? And what’s gone on between us over the past month? Do my words and actions mean nothing to you?” he asked and suddenly dropped his hands, turning away from me.
I’d fucked up.
Suddenly all my insecurities bubbled to the surface, drowning out anything else.
“George, don’t walk away. Please. Your words and actions are everything to me, love.
I’m sorry. I just…I saw how he looked at you, and the fact that he traveled all this way just to talk to you and then I thought, what can I offer?
I’m a man who knows how to look pretty and take a snap.
What do I know about being a partner? I’ve never had a serious intimate relationship in all my adult life. You could do so much better.”
George turned around and his pained expression had me taking a step forward. I’d never seen him look so upset before.
“Don’t ever talk about yourself that way.
You’re a smart, funny, sexy, adventurous, generous, amazing man.
The man I’ve fallen head over heels in love with.
And you know all you need to about being a partner.
I said it already, you see me and love me as I am.
And you also make me feel like I could take on the fucking world.
Don’t ever doubt yourself, or my feelings for you, again. ”
Instead of saying anything else—worried I’d screw up again—I reached up and kissed him. He gripped my hips and pulled me to him so tightly I’d probably have bruises tomorrow. Our kisses were frantic and possessive as we held on to each other like we’d never let go.
Together, we stood on the edge of a very high cliff.
There was no safety net in sight.